Saving River Song
by Anjirika
Summary: Set after the credits roll on S4E9 'Forest of the Dead' the Doctor saves she who saved him.


_Author's Note: While I absolutely love River Song, I've never been a fan of her end in Season Four and so I figured with time being rewritten and whatnot, that the Doctor would make sure that his River would be saved. _

_DISCLAIMER: The characters of THE DOCTOR and RIVER SONG do not belong to me, nor do the allusions to SILENCE IN THE LIBRARY and FOREST OF THE DEAD. They belong to the BBC and Steven Moffat. I've merely borrowed them for the next 732 words. _

**Saving River Song**

Strictly speaking, crossing the timeline was a big no-no for a Time Lord—but the Doctor had learned enough over the centuries to know that sometimes crossing the timeline was unavoidable, especially since he realized that time could be rewritten and even erased. _Which is why I have to stay hidden in the shadows,_ he told himself as he watched the people being beamed off the planet. _Though the shadows may not be the most perfect place to be right now..._

That's when the Doctor saw it, or rather himself. Sticking to the shadows, the Doctor followed the tenth version of himself and watched as the man in a suit placed the diary and the sonic screwdriver on the balcony. _Excellent,_ he thought to himself as he watched his younger version leave. _My River has been saved._

Slowly, the Doctor walked to the central computer of the library. He didn't make eye-contact with anyone. He walked with a single focus in mind. When he reached his destination he saw that her body was still there, just as the Doctor had left her and from his changing memories he knew that he only moments before someone would come down to take River's body away.

_That's not going to happen,_ the Doctor told himself firmly. _I'm going to get River back._ And with that thought in mind, he pointed his sonic screwdriver at the controls of the mainframe. He knew that the others who had died had been saved and that that's where River's essence would be. "Come on River," he stated aloud as the sonic screwdriver began to hum. "It's time to bring you home."

There was a flash of light, and a few sparks went flying everywhere. The Doctor shielded his eyes, praying that his miracle had worked, but had no idea until he heard a voice. "Doctor?" came the voice, uncharacteristicly timid and confused. "What's..."

The Doctor looked up and saw River's face, unchanged and as beautiful as ever. "River."

"Doctor," she stated again, eyes wide with amazement. "My Doctor... what's going on?"

"You saved me a long time ago," he answered. "I didn't even know you, even though you knew me... thank you by the way for studying my faces and not letting me tell you in which order they came..."

"Doctor your babbling."

"Yes," he stated. "Well the tenth version of myself didn't know what I was going to do without you, even as I did not know what I was going to do with you so I made up a plan to save you the second time round and it worked."

"Worked?"

"Your mind was saved by the mainframe," he explained. "I didn't know if I'd be able to figure it out in time but I did... thank creation I did."

"Yes," River agreed with a smile as she sauntered over to the Doctor. "I always knew that you were brilliant."

The Doctor smiled and leaned down to kiss his River. She returned his kiss eagerly and passionately. When it ended, the Doctor looked into her eyes and was startled when she hit him. "Hey," he exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"That was for not telling me that your first meeting was supposed to be my last."

"You wouldn't have come here if I had told you," the Doctor defended. "And we couldn't have had that or else I probably wouldn't have been here."

"Well time can be rewritten," River pointed out.

"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "It can be. You're proof of that—"

"—and you stop me from meeting you because?"

"Because you intrigued me so," the Doctor admitted. "You knew my name. Without telling me anything you told me everything and it's why I trusted you from our very first meeting."

"You mean, my very first meeting."

The Doctor smiled. "Wibbily wobbly,"

"Timey, wimy," River finished as she took his hand. "Come on Doctor. Let's go home."

The Doctor smiled and snapped his fingers. The tell tale hum of the TARDIS sounded as the box itself faded into view. He snapped his fingers again and the door opened. River and her Doctor stepped into the TARDIS, their arms encircling each other. Their journey only still beginning.

—end—


End file.
